Trolley-poles for electric traction systems.



E. M. MUNRO.

TROLLEY POLES FOR ELECTRIC TRACTION SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED APILZQ, 1 911. I 1,021,20 Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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E. M. MUNRO.

TROLLEY POLES FOR ELECTRIC TRACTION SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED 11.29, 1911.

1 ,02 1 ,206. Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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EfM. MUNRO.

TROLLEY POLES FOR ELECTRIC TRACTION SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION mum APR.29, 1911.

1,021,206. Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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E. M. MUNRO.

TROLLEY POLES FOR ELECTRIC TRAGTION SYSTEMS.

APPLIOATION FILED APJLZB, 1911.

v 1,021,206 Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGIAPH C0-.WASHINOTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD MAY MUNRO, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE R. E. T. CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

TROLLEY-PO'LES FOR ELECTRIC TRACTION SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 29, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

Serial No. 624,075.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1', EDWARD MAY M'UNRO, a subject of the King of England, residing at London, in England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Poles for Electric Traction Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trolley-poles for electric traction systems, and has particular reference to a system in which two or more overhead conductors are employed to supply power to a vehicle traveling without rails, although the invention is not necessarily limited to such a system.

The primary object of the invention is the arrangement of two trolley-sockets in such a manner that the shoes or other collectors carried on the extremities of the trolleypoles will, in all ordinary circumstances, keep at the same distance apart although the upper ends of the poles are substantially similar to ordinary single trolley-heads. This is accomplished, according to this invention, by mounting the two sockets upon a common plate or carrier, which, preferably, is itself pivoted upon a central support fixed to some convenient part of the vehicle, the sockets or poles being geared or connected so that they each rotate in the same direction and through similar angles.

1 The connection between the two sockets or poles may comprise actual gearing between the two sockets or may be in the form of a coupling or yoke at some convenient point in the length of the poles.

WVhen the trolley-base is of the kind wherein one or more springs lying in an approximately horizontal plane act upon the socket or other part near the base of the pole and tend to raise the trolley-head into contact with the overhead conductors, the construction adopted is such that the pole socket can turn freely, that is to say, it can be swung around relatively to the base without any rotary movement of the part upon which the springis mounted. A convenient construction of this nature is one in which each pole socket is pivotally mounted on an outer sleeve which is freely rotatablepreferably on ball bearings-on a fixed hollow member which may form part of the plate or carrier before mentioned. Within this hollow member is an inner sleeve adapted to rotate and also to slide longitudinally. A tie, which may be in the form of a light rod, connects the bottom end of this inner sleeve with a part of the polesocket forming practically a short lever, and a spring is provided acting to force down the lower end of the sleeve and thus keep the trolley-pole raised. The connection between the spring and the lower end of the sleeve is preferably through a forked bell crank lever and a bodice or ring within which the sleeve can turn. This construction may be adopted with advantage even when two poles are not required. The two outer sleeves may be provided with spur wheels engaging with a central idle spur wheel or pinion mounted on some stationary part of the framework.

In another construction of trolley-base according to this invention, the sockets, or the members bearing them, are geared together as in the form previously described but the hollow members and sleeves are made of greater depth so that the springs which tend to raise the trolley-poles can be contained within the inner sleeves.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of one construction of trolley-base according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan, Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a horizontal section partly on the line 4-4; of Fig. 1 and partly on the line 9% of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a general view showing the trolley-base in perspective, and Fig. 6 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modified construction of trolley-base also according to this invention.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

With reference first to Figs. 1 to 5, A is a central support or pivot provided with a foot A intended to be bolted in some convenient position on the vehicle. Mounted upon this pivot is a carrier B, a ball bearing B being provided between the lower portion of the carrier and the upper face of the central support A. The carrier B is provided with hollow extensions B forming a support for an outer sleeve C which can rotate relatively to the hollow member B between ball bearings C and C Each of the sleeves C is provided with a spur wheel D and the two spur wheels engage with a pinion D mounted upon the top ofthe central support A. The upper portion of each of the sleeves C carries, or is formed as, a hood C (Fig. 3) serving to protect the mechanism of the trolley base from the weather and also to support the pivots E of the trolley socket E. The inside of each hollow member B is bored to receive the inner sleeve F which is capable of rotating and also of sliding longitudinally in the hollow member. The sleeve F is made in two portionsas may be seen by reference tothe right hand side of Fig. 3which are screwed together and hold between them in ball bearings F a bodice or ring G. This bodice or ring is provided wit-h gudgeo-n pins G connected by links H to bell-crank levers J pivoted asat J (Fig. 1) to the downwardly extending portion of the carrier B. The lower end of the inner sleeve F is provided with lugs F to which is attached by a pin F the lower extremity of a tie rod or link K. The upper end ofthis link K is furnished with pins which engage with a fork E formed on the end of the pole-socket E. Each pair of bell-crank levers J is connected by adjustable rods L to a yoke or cross-bar L capable of sliding on tubes M which extend from, and are mounted on, the carrier B. Encircling each tube M is a spiral spring N which is in compression between the cross bar L and the carrier B, and hence, each pair of springs acting through the cross bar L the rods L and the bell-crank levers J, tends to pull down the bodice or ring Gr and the inner sleeve F. A downward pull is thus transmitted through the link K to the inner end of the pole socket E, and the upper extremity of the pole bearing the shoe or collector tends to be raised into contact with the conductor. It will be obvious that in this construction the pole-socket and the sleeve C to which it is pivoted can rotate about a vertical axis passing through the center of the hollow member B without rotating the carrier B or causing any movement of the springs N, and further, that any angular movement of the one socket must be transmitted through the spur gearing D, D to the other socket. In order to control the amount of this movement, Springs 0 are provided connecting each sleeve O with a yoke M which joins the ends of the fixed,tubes M (see Figs. 1 and 2). Further, to control the movement of the whole carrier B about the central pivot or support A, another spring P (Fig. 2) maybe connected between the yoke M and some fixed part of the -trolleybase or of the vehicle.

The construction described above with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 is advantageous as taking up only a small amount of head room on the vehicle, but other constructions of geared trolley-pole sockets may be employed. Fig. 6 illustrates one of such forms. As in the construction previously described, there is a carrier B rotatable about a central support or pivot A and furnished with hollow members B, but in the form illustrated in Fig. 6, the members B are considerably deeper than in the other construction and they contain inner sleeves F t which are screwed into and thus form extensions of the upper sleeves C which support the pole-sockets. Each inner sleeve is provided with an internal collar F at its upper extremity against which bears the top end of a spring N To the bottom end of this spring is attached one end of a link K the top end of which engagesas in the previous constructionwith the fork E at the inner end of the pole-socket E. Thus, in this construction the spring N tending to keep the upper extremity of the pole raised is contained in the carrier. The lower end of the sleeve F is provided with an outer collar or flange F bearing against the bottom end of the hollow member B a ball bearing F being interposed between the adjacent faces. fitted with a spur wheel D engaging, as in the previous construction, with a spur pinion D mounted upon the central support A. In this form also it is preferred to control the amount of movement between the carrier B and the fixed support A and for this purpose a spring P is shown connecting those two members. One end of the spring being attached to the rotary supporting member and the other to the base, it acts to restrain turning movement of the rotary support and to return it to its normal position. Obviously this arrangement is only shown diagrammatically and any suitable means tending to limit the rotary movement of the carrier B may be employed.

Although it is preferred to allow some Each of the sleeves C is amount of rotary movement between the carrier B and the vehicle, yet the geared sockets will to some extent fulfil the pur pose of this invention if the carrier is fixed. Such an arrangement, however, could not fulfil all the varied requirements as to the relative positions of the vehicle and the overhead conductors which are satisfactorily met when the geared sockets are mounted upon a carrier which is itself capable of rotation.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a trolley-base the combination of a central support, a plate or carrier pivotally mounted upon such support, a plurality of pole-sockets mounted upon the carrier and capable of rotation relatively thereto and means whereby said pole-sockets ar caused to rotate in the same direction and through similar angles.

2. In a trolley-base the combination of a central support, a plate or carrier pivotally mounted upon such support, a plurality of pole-sockets mounted upon the. carrier and capable of rotation relatively thereto, means whereby said pole-sockets are caused to rotate in the same direction and through similar anglesand springs to control the rotary motion between the pole-sockets and the carrier.

8. In a trolley-base the combination of a central support, a plate or carrier pivotally mounted upon such support, a plurality of pole-sockets mounted upon the carrier and capable of rotation relatively thereto, means whereby said pole-sockets are caused to rotate in the same direction and through similar angles, springs to control the rotary motion between the pole-sockets and the carrier and a spring to control the rotary motion between the carrier and the fixed suport.

p 4. In a trolley-base the combination of a plate or carrier, a plurality of pole-sockets mounted upon the carrier and capable of rotation relatively thereto and gearing connecting the pole-sockets so that they rotate in the same direction and through similar angles.

5. In a trolley-base the combination of a plate or carrier, a plurality of pole-sockets mounted upon the carrier and capable of rotation relatively thereto, springs mounted upon the carrier so that they do not rotate with the sockets, operative connections between the springs and the sockets so that they tend to raise the poles carried by said sockets and gearing connecting the polesockets so that they rotate in the same direction and through similar angles.

6. In a trolley-base the combination of a central support, a plate or carrier pivotally mounted upon such support, hollow members forming part of such carrier, an outer rotatable sleeve mounted upon each of the hollow members, a pivoted socket for a trolley-pole carried by each of the rotatable sleeves, an inner sleeve adapted to rotate and slide longitudinally in each hollow member, a link connecting the inner end of each pole-socket with the inner sleeve of the hollow member upon which it is mounted, springs mounted upon the carrier, operative connections between the springs and the inner sleeves so that the sleeves tend to be drawn down within the hollow members and gearing connecting the outer rotatable sleeves so that they rotate in the same direction and through similar angles.

7. In a trolley-base the combination of a plate or carrier, a pole-socket mounted upon said carrier and capable of rotation relatively thereto, a spring mounted upon and outside the carrier so that it does not rotate with the socket and operative connections between the spring and the socket so that it tends to raise the pole carried by the socket.

8. In a trolley-base the combination of a plate or carrier, a hollow member forming part of such carrier, a rotatable outer sleeve mounted upon the hollow member, an inner SlGGX'G adapted to rotate and slide longitudinally within the hollow member, a socket for a trolley-pole carried by the outer rotatable sleeve, a link connecting the polesocket and the inner sleeve, a spring mounted on the carrier and operative connections between the spring and the inner sleeve tending to pull the sleeve down within the hollow member.

9. In a trolley-base the combination of a plate or carrier, a hollow member forming part of such carrier, a rotatable outer sleeve mounted upon the hollow member, an inner sleeve adapted to rotate and slide longitudinally within the hollow member, a bodice or ring surrounding the inner sleeve, a socket for a trolley-pole carried by the outer rotatable sleeve, a link connecting the pole-socket and the inner sleeve, a spring mounted on the carrier, bell-crank levers pivoted on the carrier, links connecting one extremity of each bell-crank lever with the bodice or ring and connecting rods joining the other extremities of the bell-crank levers with the spring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD MAY MUNRO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

